Articles

Starbucks has made a big hoopla about their new VIA, which really is just their instant coffee despite what their marketing department want you to think:

This is not instant coffee as you know it. This is rich, flavorful Starbucks ® coffee in an instant.

I mean, really, there’s no end to their hyperboles here:

How Starbucks VIA Can Change Your Life: It’s pretty revolutionary, when you think about it. With Starbucks VIA, great coffee can be yours anytime, anywhere. A life-altering concept, with tasty consequences, to be sure. But with endless possibilities for enjoyment, where does one begin?

Either the marketing department was on a bit too high of a caffeine buzz, or they have never had instant coffee before.

I sampled their “Colombia blend” which was… Well, I’ve never tried regular Starbucks drip coffee, but if it tastes anything like this, it must be pretty awful. VIA actually makes Folgers feel like a boutique craft brew. This is not a good thing. I haven’t tried to boil pond scum before, but I’m guessing if I did, it’d taste sort of like VIA. The aftertaste it leaves just does not go away. It is not pleasant!

I really don’t have anything against Starbucks. It’s a place you go not for deep and meaningful coffee experiences, but for a quick caffeine fix and drinks with all kind of strange flavors added to them. There’s nothing wrong with that in itself, but it also should be a good indication that Starbucks’ instant coffee should be avoided.

For the “real” stuff, check out any place that stocks DOMA, like Natural Start.